Self Sacrifice
by TwilightDarknessReborn
Summary: Naruto finds himself in a strange place covered in injuries he doesn’t remember getting. Minato is confused. AU, TimeTravel, No pairings decided yet.
1. Prologue

**Self Sacrifice**

7-21-09

Chapter 1

Disclaimer/ Warning - I don't own Naruto, and there's some crude language.

A/N- Well, here it is, the repost! Criticism always welcomed and wanted! 

Summary- Naruto finds himself in a strange place covered in injuries he doesn't remember getting. Minato is confused. [AU, TimeTravel, No pairings decided yet]

"Talking" '_Thinking'_ _Emphasis _"_Fox Talking"_ **Flashback** XXXXX=Scene/Point of View Change _(A/N; …)_= Author's Note

Naruto groggily woke, head banging like a drum to a tribal beat. _'What happened…?' _Glancing around blearily, he struggled to take in his surroundings. _'Last I remember…_ **his head met the ground roughly, making him see stars. "Ku ku ku," Orochimaru laughed, enjoying his pain. "What's wrong, gaki? Still too weak to even be able to defend yourself? Ku ku ku…" Naruto glared, pulling himself to his feet. "Stuff it, snake. This ends here and now!" Naruto, weakened and low on chakra, knew this was the last stand. Flashing through a long sequence of seals, his hands mere blurs: "Soul Sacrifice! " The wind billowing around the ruins that used to be his home, Konoha, became sharp and chakra fueled. Naruto's abdomen painfully clench. Feeling the demon within him start to rebel, fighting against its fate - knowing what he had just done, Naruto race forward ignoring the pain and barely managing to slam his palm into Orochimaru's stomach..."**_'_

Naruto jerked into a sitting position - or tried to - as he realized he was restrained by leather belts securing his arms and legs to his midsection, locking him on to what appeared to be a hospital bed. Completely aware at this point, Naruto calmed himself, and tried to better gauge his situation. _'Ok, I appear to be alive – how is that even possible? – And I'm in an unknown hospital room… Wait, if I'm alive, what happened to Orochimaru - where am I?!'_ A sudden wave of nausea and dizziness hit him, making Naruto reel and lean back into the bed. _'First things first, I guess.'_ With that thought, Naruto did a brief, as best as he could manage, analysis of his health.

Aside from horrendous chakra depletion, he had several scrapes, slashes and injuries that he didn't remember gaining from the battle with Orochimaru. _'What the hell is going on here?!'_ A more forceful dizzy spell hit him, and Naruto closed his eyes, trying not to puke. _'Well shit-'_ the clip clop of approaching feet met his sensitive ears. Naruto immediately slump back and feign sleep.

A woman, by the smell of her perfume, _'obviously civilian; no kunoichi_ _would wear an identifier like that'_ came over to his bed checking his charts and heart monitors for any changes. Once she left the room, Naruto tried to sit up and looking around himself warily. _'Well, she didn't give me any drugs to keep me out and she was civilian, so I'm either in neutral territory, or they have no idea who I am.'_ Suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing the face of a man Naruto knew to be long passed. The shock of this man's appearance, along with his pain; Naruto fainted.

XXXXX

Two weeks earlier…

**A young man with incredibly spiky, golden locks ran through the trees at a laid back pace - for a shinobi. To any civilian or lesser ninja, it seemed as if a ray of sun briefly shown through the trees.**

**Minato scanned his surroundings diligently, on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. **_**'God I hate scouting missions, so- what's that?!'**_** He hid his position in some underbrush as his senses were hit by the scent of blood so thick in the air, he thought about fleeing or requesting backup. **_**'I must have stumbled into a battle… wait, it's too quiet.'**_** There was no bird song, no scuffling of ninja planting traps or preparing jutsu; it was silent as the grave. Then, barely noticed through the blood, more scents hit him; burned flesh and wood.**

**Minato approached wearily, kunai out in a defensive position. As he crept through the underbrush, he noticed the closer he got to the source, the more trees were stripped of bark and bearing burns. The ground too, was charred and eroded looking.**

**Minato expected to be very near to the incident sight, with the smell and damage to the terrain, yet he traveled for what seemed like forever though it was really only thirteen kilometers.**

**Suddenly, Minato stumbled, nearly falling into the crater his feet had found. Risking a jutsu or a trap flying into his face, he quickly looked down and gasped. **_**'What. The. Hell.'**_** A man with too familiar golden hair and skin was lying face down in the middle of the crater, covered in blood, heavily burned, injured and clearly unconscious - but breathing.**

**Minato found himself at odds. This man, injured or not, was in trouble. You could practically feel waves of chakra, rolling and whipping the wind around him and the crater. **_**'I can't just leave him there; he might still have a chance. I can't bring a possible threat into the village though…'**_

**Threat or not he could not, in good conscious, leave the man there to die. Grumbling, Minato rhythmically tapped the communicator on his neck, indicating he'd found something.**

**Taking a moment to brace for a surprise attack, though he seriously doubted the man was currently capable; Minato slid down into the crater and carefully nudged the man's arm with the blunt ring of his kunai, making sure he was really unconscious. Hesitating slightly, he picked the man up at the waist and carefully rested him on his shoulder, trying not to jostle any wounds.**

**Soon, after barely managing to drag the man and himself out of the crater - he'd underestimated the larger man's weight - Minato was surrounded by three ANBU, who looked at the man on his shoulder and back at him. He shrugged, feigning nonchalance.**

"**He's been unconscious since I found him and he's in need of medical help." The ANBU briefly observed him. **

'_**They can probably see right through me.' **_**To be honest, Minato was intrigued. This man and himself bore a suspiciously high resemblance, and he gave off an unusual vibe. Not menacing, but… unusual.**

**The ANBU observed him a moment more and one finally stepped forward, relieving him of his load. With a curt nod in his direction, the ANBU sped off towards Konoha.**

**Minato sighed. **_**'Well, back to scouting duty.'**_

XXXXX

Minato sighed in wonderment and irritation. The man - whose name he still didn't know - had been awake, however briefly, and had revealed eyes only slightly darker than his own ocean blue. Then he'd passed out again, not giving Minato a chance to interrogate him whatsoever.

He found himself frowning again, something he'd been doing more and more since his 'find'. How was this possible? This man looked like him – the child found wandering around Konoha during the war with no memory of family or a home. Minato honestly couldn't remember if he had family or not, but this man's appearance made him wonder. He hadn't thought about having actual family in years.

Minato suddenly felt uneasy; what connection was there between this man and him? Konoha is the only home he could remember having, and he was content. _'If this man – whoever he is – tries to harm Konoha in anyway, I'll kill him,'_ he thought, his unease accompanied by a sudden, brief flare of angry chakra.

Startled at the emotion, Minato quickly got himself under control. '_No need to disturb any of these machines,__[1]_' he chided himself, ashamed at his unintentional slip-up. _'I'll never advance this way! I've got to have more control of myself! Besides, what can he do? …Yeah,_' he assured himself. '_This man is bound to the bed and severely injured besides! He can't do a thing!'_

With his self-assurance sweeping his unease away, Minato looked down at the man once more before exiting. "Hmm…"

XXXXX

Naruto came back to with a groan, much less groggy and nauseated. Upon realizing he was in the same hospital room, still bound to the bed, and that it was now night, he sighed. _'Guess it wasn't some screwed-up dream... just GREAT! I still have no idea where I am, and I'm hallucinating!'_

That couldn't be the Yondaime; he _boy_ he saw was too young, and that man had died the day Naruto was born.

Naruto took another survey of his health, pleased Kyuubi was finally pulling his weight, that only the worst of his previous injuries were there at all, and that some of his chakra was replenished.

'_Speaking of the Fox…'_ Naruto decided to get to the bottom of this, and sent himself into a light form of meditation; something he'd become quite adept at during the war when he needed to forget, 'cause sake sure as hell didn't work and boy had he tried.

'_Hey Kyuubi, what the hell's going on here?' _Naruto mentally yelled. He waited… _'Kyuubi?'_ Annoyed and slightly worried that he wasn't getting a response, Naruto mentally looked around for his prisoner and even walked directly up to the cage, something he avoided doing unless absolutely necessary.

Naruto scowled, coming out of his brief meditation. _'Ok, I'm still injured and chakra depleted, I feel better, but I still don't know my current situation.'_

He pondered the idea of trying to escape, but thought better of it. _'With my luck, I'd be sent to a prison cell or a torture chamber immediately.'_

Naruto was no stranger to torture, unfortunately. On his third jounin mission - a rank he proudly claimed the year of his seventeenth birthday (a year later than the other rookie nine, but beggars can't be choosers) - he and the team he'd been working with at the time were captured by Iwa forces in an ambush on their way back to Konoha.

Being the only jounin in the team, he was tortured the longest and was the only one of the team of four to survive.

Naruto stubbornly pushed those memories away, and refocused on the task at hand.

Before he could make a move at really trying to escape, he heard another pair of feet approaching his room. Mentally sighing in annoyance, he quickly feign sleep again, and hoped he'd be left in peace.

No such luck.

XXXXX

Minato sighed. His team was out drinking and partying again – something he himself didn't do unless there was a new name carved into the stone or an official victory in the war efforts.

'_Well, I do have the day off since I can't go on missions without them…_' He decided to go check up on his latest source of entertainment; his 'find'.

His team had teased him when he (stupidly, looking back on it) mentioned his curiosity. Blushing as he stomped away from his guffawing colleagues, he'd retorted, "Well, at least I have good taste!" That'd shut them up for all of three seconds, only to make their laughing and gay-jokes become louder and more raucous.

Nodding to the nurse, he head to room 298 like he had every day for the last two weeks. The only time the mystery-man had shown awareness, however, was the day before when he'd briefly been awake.

Hoping he'd be awake today, Minato paused slightly before the door. Remembering all the questions that the village and he needed answering, Minato braced himself and slowly opened the door…

XXXXX

Recognizing the chakra of the boy that had bust in on him the previous day, Naruto continued his act, not sure of what the boy wanted.

Minato grumbled to himself. He'd really hoped the man would be awake so he could begin his questionnaire. Slouching back into the not very comfortable chair, he shot, "Geez, wake up will ya? I got a lot to ask you!" Ignored, Minato began to rant. "I hope you're happy, 'cause thanks to you being my 'find'" insert sarcastic tone, "my teammates think I'm gay. Thanks." Inwardly, Naruto was snorting with laughter. On the outside, he showed no reaction and was breathing regularly.

Minato groaned, but became serious. "I've never had a family; I was found as an orphan wandering the streets with no memories but my name… yet here you are. Why do you and I look so alike? Are you my father, a relative? Did you abandon me? Why can't I remember you? You look like a ninja; no civilian is built like that, so did you cast a jutsu on me? Made me forget? Who are you?!" Minato was practically tearing his hair out in frustration as he (seemingly) talked to the air about his personal woes. "What am I doing? You're still sleep, after all; it's not like I'm going to get a response." Minato laughed a dull, hurt, bleak sound. "Bet my team, not to mention the rest of Konoha, wouldn't recognize me right now. I'm so selfish, wallowing. I'm so stupid…"

This boy, who indeed looked much like him, was mirroring all the questions Naruto would ask in the same situation. It tore at him – the guilt at having heard such a private incident, and the sorrow of both their situations. Naruto could take it no longer (and had thought up most of his alias by this time anyways). "N-no, you-", Naruto rasped, struggling to get the words out. Damn his throat was dry! "are not." Minato had practically fallen over himself in his surprise. How embarrassing - worse yet, how much had this stranger heard?!

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, blinking to give the image of having just woken up. 'The boy', who had yet to introduce himself, he noted with amusement, was staring at him like a fish out of water. More amused, Naruto gingerly tried to sit up. That earned him a stabbing pain in his side, a low hiss escaping his lips as the leather belts put more pressure on his remaining wounds. Minato just stared. He was shocked. Despite wanting the man to wake, he knew well the extent to which he'd been injured. This man shouldn't have been up for at least another week – if at all. His training kicked when a he heard the pained hiss.

On autopilot, he reached forward to support the man, slightly loosen the chest strap and offer him some water. Naruto blissfully drank the soothing, cool water and felt his throat's injuries – caused by him casting too many katon jutsu in his final fight – finish healing completely. Clearing his throat slightly, Naruto leaned back into the bed. "So, got a name kid?"

Minato stared at Naruto as if he'd grown a second head. "… What?" Snapping to attention, he practically bark, "How are you even awake? With your injuries you should've been out for at least another week or so… And what's _your_ name, trespasser?!"

Naruto snorted, _'this kid sure has balls, but not for long!'_ "Well, gaki," insert annoyed squawk and rude hand gesture – both ignored. "Let's start over, shall we? My name is Nagoyaka [2], you're name is gaki, and where's the grub – chop chop!" Naruto cheekily clapped his hands and grinned.

Minato fumed. Screw curiosity this - this _imbecile_ was going down! "Your name doesn't suit you at all! You should've been named Baka!" "That's the best you could come up with? How pathetic!" "Well, Nagoyaka-jii" Naruto bristled, "My name is Minato, and I'm not your attendant!" Minato stomped out in a huff.

Naruto scowled as the boy left. Oh yes, this was far from over. That stupid gaki was going down – as soon as he got out of here!

_(A/N; I'll only be referring to him as Nagoyaka from now on; it'll lessen confusion.)_

XXXXX

Minato walked towards the Hokage Tower to report Nagoyaka's awakening – not that he believed that was the baka's real name, of course. "Stupid old man," he growled out loud, earning him a couple of interesting glances as he distractedly walked towards his destination. Hearing loud foot falls, Minato looked up to - suddenly, he found himself on the ground with an aching forehead and one of his teammates groaning and holding her head on the ground next to him, with the others running to catch up to her.

"Hey shorty! Long time no see! How's your boyfriend?" Koaki winced from her aching forehead and joined in the others cackling. "What happened to yours?"

The cackling stopped and was replaced by 'Ooohs!', and Minato snickered. "Scared off another one, eh? Don't worry, some girly man out there will eventually become your bitch!" Ok, a little harsh, but Minato was aggravated and hungry and he really wanted to smack a certain other blonde upside the head. Chigusa and Kojima backed away from him like he had some disease as they started to quietly try to beat an escape before Koaki, the last of the other three members on his chunnin squad growled and started to crack her knuckles menacingly. In a saccharine voice she asked, "What was that, Minato-chan?"

He started to nervously back away. "Aw, you know I was only kidding, right," Minato laughed and quickly glanced around him before spotting his other team members hiding behind a distant building watching his soon-to-be-demise with cameras posed and large grins. Kojima even gave a jaunty wave. Anime tears started to flow down his cheeks as Koaki zoned in on him like a cat stalking its prey.

Before she could land a blow, Minato blurt out in desperation, "I forgot to tell you that my 'find' woke up!" Koaki paused her advancement for a moment, just enough for Minato to perform a quick Kawarimi with Chigusa and take off running.

It took her a minute or too, but Koaki eventually found him and beat him black and blue – which explained his standing in front of the Hokage in his condition, with his team snickering behind him.

"So, he's awake and claims his name is Nagoyaka, eh?" The Third quietly puffed on his pipe. This could prove to be an interesting experience; that name sounded like it came from regions to the north of their location, possibly from Mizu or Nami no Kuni. Konoha was on neutral terms with Nami no Kuni, but Mizu… this needed immediate attention.

The Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato frowned as he dismiss the chunnin team. He didn't know whether or not to have this 'Nagoyaka' character taken to Ibiki or not, but he thought, _'Even though we soon may be at war, this might be an honest mishap of sorts. Otherwise…'_ He let his thoughts stop there; he may be the Hokage, but he was not a cruel man and didn't look towards torture as a source for information unless it was the last option he had. He knew this was certainly a necessary case, but he would still try to give this person the benefit of the doubt, and hope that he willingly gave up information…

XXXXX

Nagoyaka stretched and tried unsuccessfully to not flinch in pain from his side's wound. While Orochimaru and him had been battling, the snake had pulled a fast one and was able to score a deep hit with his sword in Naruto's side. He hadn't hit anything important, but the wound still hurt like a bitch and seemed to be taking forever to heal.

Nagoyaka sigh in wonder and frustration. _'I'm not in enemy territory, the security's too lenient. But they don't have me in a room with a window, so I'm still an 'unknown' – or underground. Either way, a meeting with the leader of wherever this is, is imminent; I haven't gotten interrogated yet, at the least. Also, the gaki from earlier was wearing a chunnin vest, so I'm probably in or near a hidden village.'_

Clearing his thoughts and going over his alias in his mind once more, Nagoyaka tried to lock away thoughts[3] that weren't consistent with his new identity. Uzumaki Naruto, for the time being, didn't exist, didn't have a past, present, or future; after all, 'Nagoyaka' has never even heard that name. Satisfied that his mind was secure, Nagoyaka relax into the clean bed. He lazily looked around his boring, white hospital room. He wasn't tired enough to sleep, despite his chakra reserves still being low, but besides the medical machines, a chair and his bed, the room was empty. With a groan of boredom and pain, Nagoyaka managed to roll on to his uninjured side and relax further. His silently thank the gaki that rather stupidly left his bonds loose. Even though he was presented the option of escaping, he decided to stay around for a while. It's not like he couldn't free himself, anyways. He hadn't been ANBU for nothing, after all.

XXXXX

After getting some lunch at the local dango bar, Minato and his team head towards the hospital.

"I can introduce you all; this guy may be rude, but he doesn't seem unkind…" Minato walk slightly ahead of his team, leading the way. "Oh, you already know each other so well?" Koaki boisterously laughed.

The bane of Minato's existence, and a shinobi he would willingly give his life for, Minato's closest teammate, Umino Koaki. Brunet with hazel eyes, standing at five foot two, very petite, and almost fragile looking, Koaki could fool most anybody the fact that she was a skilled chunnin with three years under her belt. With her short stature and small weight, Koaki could damn near fly with barely any chakra manipulation against almost any surface, and she was a ranged weapons user to boot; a very dangerous combination. Senbon and kusari-gama were her intimately close friends, which she could use to paralyze and trap her opponents with ease. Despite being Minato's age – 16, she was already being looked at for promotion, while he on the other hand…

Minato glare back playfully as their usual banter began to pick up. Koaki could be a really pain in the ass, but Minato wouldn't have it any other way… As he landed face first into a mud puddle courtesy of Koaki's boot to his ass, Minato thought, _'Screw that!'_ and thus the fight began.

Namikaze Minato himself wasn't an unskilled fighter; in fact, he was an acclaimed wind jutsu user. Blonde with lake water blue eyes, Minato was stood at five foot four (the shortest male of his age group!); being highly agile and surprisingly strong for his short stature, he was a skilled in taijutsu and utilizing his surroundings. Spontaneous in fights and able to use random maneuvers, seals and traps to catch his opponents off guard Minato was easily one of the strongest of their rank. When it came to weaponry, he tended to use the basics like shuriken and kunai, but despite not being looked at for a promotion, he _was_ respected due to his vast and growing knowledge of seals.

Chigusa and Kojima amusedly watched the scuffle from a distance. Mogami Chigusa and Kojima are distant cousins, and both use earth jutsu. Chigusa is a calm man in his mid twenties with black hair and fair grey eyes who joined Minato's team when his teammates were killed in a sabotaged mission last year. While Kojima is slighter of frame and used his mid-ranged weapons to his advantage, Chigusa has a heavy, muscular build and while his attacks are slower, they definitely pack a punch. The Pantera Claws he utilizes are wickedly sharp and have custom serrated blades that, when combined with his strength, have the ability to saw an enemy ninja in half.

Kojima is a somewhat hyper young man in his early twenties with the same dark hair and fair eyes, is two inches shorter than Chigusa, standing at five foot nine is lighter and utilizes a traditional kantana. He also uses earth jutsu, but while Chigusa's are geared towards crushing his opponents, Kojima's are mostly based on capture and ensnarement. The cousins are sometimes quirky, but both are reliable in battle, and both have an interesting sense of humor; both are also being look at for promotions.

"Ha ha look at poor, poor Minato-kun getting beat-up! Ha ha!" Minato grumbled as he finally consent his defeat in the face of the she-devil. Koaki grinned and removed her kusari-gama from around his legs and leapt off of him (she's been sitting on her 'trophy'). "It's ok, Minato-chan! One day, you'll hit that growth spurt, and one day when I'm jonin, you'll be able to dream of beating me…"

Minato grunt unhappily, "Like you can talk…" he muttered at the height comment. "Well, when I'm jonin, and you're stuck teaching in the academy with kids, you'll beg me to train you, and I'll say-"

"Oh, what was that? I think I just heard the sound of a YOU WISH floating in the breeze!" With a happy giggle, Koaki grabbed the still grumbling and sulking chunnin and drag him towards the hospital excitedly. "Anyways, enough about you, tell me more about your 'find'! We," she pointed back towards their quiet and twitching teammates, Chigusa and Kojima respectively, "caught a glimpse of some ANBU carrying a blond man with no clothes to the hospital. They sure seemed to be in a hurry." She'd added the last part when she noticed Minato's eyes light up in recognition. Smirking, she went on, "Wouldn't happen to know anything about that, ne? Maybe _he's_ you're 'find'. If so…"

Chigusa and Kojima randomly laughed at Minato's expense. "Yeah, we saw _everything_; how'd you find him again?"

Minato slap a palm to his forehead in exasperation. "Yes he's my find," his team cackled, "and yes that's how I found him." The laughing got louder. "However, did you all notice his injuries?" The laughing died down as he his teammates sobered up for the details. "When I found him…" Minato glance around and his team got the hint.

Chigusa lead them to a quiet, nearly empty café next to the hospital. Claiming some seats in a corner away from the entrance and other customers, the chunnin squad ordered some drinks and refocused on the task at hand once the waitress left. Minato bit his lip nervously, "This guy had class _four_[4] injuries," Chigusa and Kojima quietly gasp while Koaki's eyes narrowed.

"What type of situation was he found in?" Koaki asked. Minato proceed to describe everything in detail. By the end, the team was quiet and pensive. Finally, "That doesn't seem to be the thing that's bothering you, though. What else is there?" demanded Koaki in her 'mission voice' – she was concerned and cautious. Minato sighed, "Despite his injuries, he's awake, and no longer in intensive care; it's only been two weeks! His wounds heal at a rate that is nearly six times faster than a normal human." Chigusa and Kojima were completely serious at this point, and Kojima asked, "Why didn't you tell the Hokage about this?"

Minato met their confused looks head on. "I want you all to meet him first; he doesn't feel hostile, but I keep feeling these weird vibes from him. I kept going to see him every day to see if this was a fluke or something, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Either way, I want to be able to present _all_ possible information to the Hokage at once, so I wanted you all to confirm these vibes I was getting." Koaki, Chigusa and Kojima all nodded and got up, paying for their drinks. Minato joined them and exit the quiet café.

XXXXX

Nagoyaka had finally reached a state of boredom deep enough that he was starting to dose off when the door to his hospital room suddenly slam open. Caught off guard and surprised, Nagoyaka tried to jump out of bed –only to slam into the strong leather straps still holding him to his bed. As he saw white stars of pain, he release a groan and hastily lean back into the bed to try and ease the pressure off his chest and injured side. Minato's squad jump in surprise; they hadn't meant to startle the man enough to almost injure him!

Minato hurried over to the chair next to the bed before any of his teammates could claim it. "Hello, Nagoyaka-jii! Are you ok? We didn't mean to surprise you like that-" the young blonde was sent sprawling as an excited Koaki elbowed him out of the chair to get a look at the 'find' she'd actually felt nervous about not ten minutes ago.

After sending Minato an irate glare, Nagoyaka faced the petite tanned face staring at him, hazel eyes intent. His own ocean eyes held her gaze calmly for a moment before he spoke, "As pretty as you are, Mystery Kunoichi, I'd like my personal space back." Koaki jump back, red faced and embarrassed. She'd always had a thing for older guys, after all… Besides, the man in front of her didn't look all that old; the man she saw sending her an amused look from beneath shaggy shoulder length blonde hair that, had it been slightly shorter, looked like it may have naturally spiked. A face that was well tanned and had no age lines, hinted at this man being in his twenties to early thirties… and what looked to be whisker marks on his cheeks? She grinned and playfully poked Kojima in the side. "Look, our little Minato has good taste after all!"

Nagoyaka observe the kids in front of him while forcing a blush and embarrassed smile. They were smart enough not to wear an insignia for their home (so he _still_ had no idea where he was), but they were all displaying their ninja ranks by wearing chunnin vests; he was right, he _was_ in a hidden village!

Minato complained of their jokes but kept his eyes trained on the shinobi in front of him; there was no way this man was not a shinobi. When they'd mask their chakra and rushed the room, they'd been expecting the type of reaction he'd given but his speed at it only confirmed their suspicions. As the banter and his laughter died down, Chigusa ventured to ask, "So, Nagoyaka-san, let me introduce my team: The stupid looking girl is Umino Koaki, The short blonde is Namikaze Minato, my name is Mogami Chigusa," he gave a short bow, ignoring the rude gestures his team was making. "And the other boy is Mogami Kojima - pleased to make your acquaintance." The squad properly greeted him and pulled up some chairs around his bed.

Nagoyaka grinned. "Finally, I've got some _decent_ visitors! I practically had to fight the name out of shorty over there," he rudely pointed at Minato's face with his thumb, earning an equally rude facial gesture for his effort. "So, can you all tell me where I am? I was heading towards Konoha last I knew, but I got jump by some bandits on my way… Am I anywhere near there? I thought it would be easy to find work there, so…" Nagoyaka sent the surprised team an innocent and confused look.

Before anyone could saw anything further, the door of the hospital room resound with a knock and slowly started to open…

A/N- So, what do you think; criticism is greatly appreciated! Like the extension of the original? Hate it? Tell me about it!

Some need to know words/ terms:

_The machines in the hospital are chakra sensitive, and any fluctuations/ bursts can damage or ruin them._

_Nagoyaka (calm, gentle, quiet)_

'_Locking away one's thoughts' is a type of psychological training that all ninja over genin rank are required to go through. Genin are almost always killed when captured, but it wouldn't do if a chunnin or jonin was tortured/ caught in a Mind Jutsu and gave up information, after all._

_Class four; severe injuries commonly classified as critical or lethal. _


	2. A Compromise

**Self Sacrifice**

08-26-09

Chapter 2

A/N- Thank you sooooo much for all the reviews! I also greatly appreciated the advice and critiquing of my grammar in the last chapter. Sadly, I haven't had the time yet to go back and fix it, but it will eventually get done! On an important side note, **I' m currently looking for a muse/beta** to help me pump out the chapters faster – not to mention fixing my grammar/spelling mistakes. Thank you very much for enduring the long wait, and thank you for **1,015** hits!!!

Summary- Naruto finds himself in a strange place covered in injuries he doesn't remember getting. Minato is confused. [AU, TimeTravel, No pairings decided yet]

"Talking" '_Thinking'_ _Emphasis _"_Fox Talking"_ **Flashback** XXXXX=Scene/Point of View Change _(A/N; …)_= Author's Note

…**the door of the hospital room resound with a knock and slowly started to open…**

As the door crept open, it bang into a table Chigusa had pushed aside for easier access to the 'find's' bed. There was a gruff sound of annoyance as the 'intruder' stopped pushing against the door and waited for someone from the inside to open it for them. Everybody un-tensed and Minato removed the table and opened the door, revealing the Hokage. Embarrassed, the rest of the squad moved their chairs so that an aisle was formed to the bed and stood at attention. The Hokage made his way over to the bed quietly, not missing the shell-shocked, white face 'Nagoyaka' had. "So, Nagoyaka-san, right? I'm the Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, Sarutobi Hirusen."

Nagoyaka's head was already whirling from his unusual circumstances, so he'd been caught completely unawares when the Hokage had walked in – a man he'd known to be dead for the past eleven years.

'_You've got to be shitting me! This can't be real! Thiscan'tberealThiscan'tberealThiscan'tbereal-'_ On the verge of a panic attack, Nagoyaka considered his situation. _'This could be a genjutsu – that's never been my forte, but when the nurse changed my IV earlier, that pain would've snapped me out of it. Also, I clearly remember fighting Orochimaru…"_ Nagoyaka put up a façade of calmly observing the Hokage. He was definitely real; despite Nagoyaka remembering attending his funeral and helping appoint the Fifth Hokage himself.

Really observing his 'visitor' for a moment, Nagoyaka's mental eyebrows practically detached themselves from his forehead they shot up so high. _'He's _younger _than I've ever seen him!'_

The Third had _no_ age spots, and his hair was darker and fuller underneath the cone of the Hokages' hat. He also had a few less wrinkles and he sat taller and straighter than Nagoyaka was used to…

Stopping himself from continuing that train of thought, Nagoyaka struggled to find his voice for a moment. _'This man isn't known as The Professor for no reason – I need a stronger alias until I can find out what's going on!'_ He needed to say something, however, so he decided to tell the man something, anything, to buy time until he could come up with something better–

"Team Minato, you're dismissed," Sarutobi admonished suddenly, knocking the team and Nagoyaka out of thought. The team looked like they wanted to protest, but instead they all shot cautionary glances at Nagoyaka and bowed respectfully before leaving the room.

XXXXX

Minato & Co. walked out of the hospital quietly, knowing it would be of no use to even try to eavesdrop on that conversation.

Koaki glanced at Minato, as did Chigusa and Kojima. None of them had felt the 'vibe' he'd tried to describe to them beforehand, but they'd definitely felt _something_ from him, and that was enough to put them on edge. He hadn't seemed hostile, as Minato had said, but they still wouldn't loosen their guard around him – he'd already proved to have been shinobi at one point, after all. What really set them all on edge, however, had been his uncanny resemblance to Minato; they all knew of Minato's familial past, so this made them even more uneasy.

Koaki finally grew tired of their silence, and was about to say something - anything to break it - when Minato spoke up, his eyes hidden by his bangs, "Well, it's in the Hokage's hands now, so I'm heading home."

Surprised, the rest team came to a halt and watched as Minato leaped up to a nearby roof and ran away from them; he was out of sight in seconds.

Koaki snarled and punched the wall she'd been walking next to as he disappeared. "This isn't right! Minato has no family he knows, but he's _ours_, he's _Konoha's_! Who's this guy to appear out of nowhere like this, especially when Minato's finally getting there! He'll be promoted soon, and he may even have a shot at his dream before long – this isn't _right_!" She punched the wall a few more times. When her hand started to bleed, Chigusa grabbed it and Kojima came up behind her and enveloped her in a hug as she stewed.

After she calmed down, Chigusa released Koaki's hand and Kojima let her go. "So what are we going to do about this?" Kojima quietly asked.

Chigusa thought for a moment before finally saying, "We need to speak to the Hokage about this. Minato needs friends and eyes on him – this 'Nagoyaka' character needs eyes on him as well. Maybe the Hokage can be of some assistance…"

Koaki and Kojima smiled as their thoughts parallel his, and all three of them head to the Hokage Tower to await their leader.

XXXXX

As the door closed with a soft click, the Hokage watched as Nagoyaka's face didn't change its expression – he was obviously a ninja, and at least at chunnin level if he could so easily control his breathing and expressions like that.

Putting on a disarming smile the Hokage asked, "So tell me about yourself, son. All I really know is your name and that you want access to my village. What about your family? What's your occupation?"

The Professor wanted answers, and he wasn't going to allow minced words, if _his own_ presence said anything. Nagoyaka was still in shock – his thoughts whirled around in an incoherent storm.

Fortunately for him, his training kicked in and he started to describe what 'Nagoyaka' did, where he was from, and most importantly, why he was in Konoha.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. My name is Kawashima Nagoyaka, and I'm a former chunnin from Mizu no Kuni. I came to Konoha to start over; I've heard that Konoha is very prosperous, and I thought that it would be easy to find a job or residence here, sir."

The Third urged him on, "What were the circumstances in which you arrived?"

Nagoyaka nodded earnestly, "I quit being a shinobi almost three years ago, so I didn't sense my assailants until they were upon me. I'm guessing they were rouges, but I'm not sure; I was knocked out just as I was trying to get a hold of the situation, sir." The Third nodded, "Hmm… why did you come to Konoha?"

Internally, Nagoyaka was still trying to get over his shock, but he wasn't off balance enough to hesitate before answering. "While Mizu no Kuni is prosperous, it is also constantly ravaged by war - what trades they do have are common practice, and it's hard for one to start up a business. In Konoha, however, you're some distance from the ocean and some of my wares and trade might be harder to come by; that would be very promising for business. Also, in Konoha, I'm away from the constant fighting."

The Hokage raised a hand, stopping Nagoyaka from going on further. "Why did you choose Konoha? Rai no Kuni is same distance from Mizu, is it not?"

'_Shit!'_ Nagoyaka's thoughts raced; this was a question he hadn't had time to prepare an answer for, but if he hesitated with his answer, he would be caught for sure. "Rai no Kuni is not known for its kindness sir," Nagoyaka carefully bit out, grasping at strings.

The Hokage sat quietly for a moment, making Nagoyaka even more nervous than he already was. Frowning inwardly, the Third began, "I'm not a Hokage for nothing. I know you're lying about your reasons for being here and that you are not what you say; the story of your arrival seems a bit telling as well." Rather than call his bluff, Nagoyaka sat calmly in his recently propped-up bed and regard him with a steady gaze.

"What makes you say that?" No undertones or voice inflection at all outside of honest curiosity.

'_This man is good, too good. Elite Chunnin, at _least_.'_

"You are built too sturdily for someone who has not had an extensive, _recent_ workout. Also, you were found in a compromising position…" Nothing could be said of the face he'd been presented with when he'd first made his appearance – that could be written off as simple nervousness, awe, or even fright but he did see _something_ spark when he'd mentioned how he'd been found in a compromising position. _'There!'_

"What position was I found in, sir?" Nagoyaka ask, trying to seem as sincerely curious as possible; he _was_ curious, but he knew from the way he was being looked at, that it was definitely wasn't good. If he was lucky, then he hadn't been covered in Kyuubi's chakra – if not, he was in some _deep_ shit.

Despite trying to not let his anxiety show through, Nagoyaka must have given something away, because –

The Third smiled, he understood what type of advantage he now had. "When my forces found you, you were in a large trough that was saturated with chakra and blood. Also, the terrain immediately surrounding it was eroded away, the clear signs of a high-powered jutsu duel. Just outside the eroded land, nearly eight kilometers away the trees bore slashes, created from either highly compressed air, or a very fine amount of highly concentrated fire. What were the _real_ circumstances of your arrival?"

The Third Hokage and Nagoyaka stare each other down in silence for what seemed like hours – though it was really only about three minutes. Finally, Nagoyaka broke eye contact and slumped, clearly showing his defeat in the battle of wills. If he wanted answers, he would have to back down; otherwise they'd be at it all day.

Nagoyaka mentally chewed his lip as he thought of his options. On one hand, he could just continue telling the man his alias, and more than likely experience a torture session, or - Nagoyaka finally responded.

"Despite coming to Konoha for a more simple life, I've only ever been a ninja before – perhaps that's all I'm good for, being a tool..." Sarutobi's eyebrows rose from this sudden line. _'He couldn't mean…'_

"Sarutobi-sama, please instate me as a new ninja of Konohagakure!" He knew he was taking a huge leap of faith here, but Nagoyaka was desperate, and now that he had an idea of where he was, he couldn't think of anything else to do; he had no special talents to back up his alias' identity, and he couldn't _really_ open up a shop or anything like that. He'd only ever been a shinobi, after all.

He let a small smile show through at the Hokage's shell-shocked expression. "I want to gain your trust, as I'd planned to live in the village anyways, this will give me a more plentiful inception from which you could draw benefits. Also," his grin grew in size, "I can make life easier for both of us; you'll be able to keep an eye on me-" he was no fool, after all, "-and I'll have the protection of teams when I go on missions - from those who won't approve of a former Kiri-nin joining their ranks."

The Third was floored. This man was _very_ intelligent – he came up with a plan that benefit both parties, since he was smart enough to know he was going to be watched; this man was obviously either a high ranking shinobi, a veteran, or both, however…

"You're avoiding my question, misuteri-san [1]," the Hokage softly intoned. "Though your 'solution' to this tangle presents a good opportunity from both sides, it won't matter if I don't learn of your true identity and intentions; if you're this intelligent, you are at _least_ a jonin, but from your control of your facial muscles outside the initial reaction to my appearance and your follow through with this plan, not to mention your 'identity'… who are you?"

Not once throughout the entire spiel did he raise his voice or change his expression, but Sarutobi was making it obvious he was tired of this game and wouldn't hesitate to send him to Ibiki at this point.

A long moment of silence stretch as Nagoyaka and the Hokage became enveloped in their own thoughts.

Nagoyaka bit his lip in a pensive matter. '_Hmmm… Maybe a compromise?'_

The Hokage frowned. _'Where do we go from here? This man is no fool, and we could use all the skilled shinobi that we can get our hands on now, but first…'_

The Hokage broke the silence first. "I'm willing to compromise, but you've got to tell the absolute truth. Nothing more, nothing less; otherwise, I can't promise your safety, and you will be subjected to torture with a good friend of mine-"

"Named Ibiki, right?"

The Hokage froze, nobody outside the very highest ranking shinobi of Konoha even knew of their newest interrogator's _existence_; how did this man know his _name_?! "How-"

"Are you sure you want the truth? Will you even believe in it? Will you really hear me out?" Screw being in hiding! Screw everything! He wasn't in _his_ home; he might not even be able to go back there! Besides, he needed to learn more about his situation (not to mention be able to move around if need be) while he was here. "I warn you, it's going to sound insane, but it will be the absolute truth, and nothing else; I swear on my title as a shinobi."

When the Hokage looked him straight in the eyes and saw the anguished, deadly depressed look, too full of hope, too broken – he caved and slowly nodded, not breaking that bond through their eyes. Thus began _Naruto's_ tale, a tale full of pain, fear, small and large joys, and anger alike.

Nearly four hours later, Sarutobi Sasuke sat in front of a newly dubbed Uzumaki Naruto in total shock, with a not-so small amount disbelief. Yet, they'd kept eye contact throughout nearly the entire story, and not once did those eyes show any sign of a lie or mistruth.

"…Where do we go from here?"

XXXXX

Naruto and the Hokage, after ending on a silent note, head to the Tower together, with a nurse wheeling Naruto in a wheelchair behind the Hokage since he was still weak. They'd both been surprised when they'd stepped out of the Hospital, since it was so late; they were even more surprised when they were confronted by Minato's team (who'd apparently been waiting for the Hokage in his office for him the entire time).

However, Sarutobi had told them that, to have an audience with him that _all_ their team members had to be there like everybody else. With that forced into their minds, they head back to their homes sullenly.

"Now, where were we?" The Professor started casually, as if they were discussing the weather. Naruto frowned at him in dismay; they hadn't really concluded anything in the Hospital, so they still didn't know where to go for their current point.

Instead of pointing this out, however, Naruto simply lean back into the wheelchair and waited for the debate to start.

The Hokage sighed and relaxed back into his chair as well. "I'm willing to trust this story of yours – on a few conditions, however. The first of those of which is that you will have to prove your willingness to work for and with our shinobi by taking an oath to not injuring any Konoha citizen, shinobi and civilian alike.

"Also, I will test you to see where your skills truly lie; during your story, you mentioned some very large events in the upcoming future, but you never talked in detail about your ability' capacity. Furthermore, I will assign you a shinobi from my personal guard who will be your side constantly – even if" lots of emphasis in the 'if'; the Professor wasn't going to immediately believe him, after all, "I come to trust you. Does this sound fair?"

Naruto quietly considered his options for a moment, and asked one question, "Will my 'guard' be told of my situation?"

"Yes." Naruto sighed but nodded his final consent; he didn't really have any other options, anyways.

"Good, I'm happy you've accepted my offer, Kawashima Nagoyaka."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in question, staying silent, not wanting to jinx anything; this had been working out incredibly, so far.

The Hokage continued after a brief pause, "Not just anybody will be able to see through your ruse, and the original idea its self isn't bad. It just needs some fleshing out. I will draw up a profile with you after your test; your guard will arrive shortly."

XXXXX

As Nagoyaka waited patiently, he became more and more nervous thinking about who his guard would be. Glancing at the Hokage surreptitiously, he was unsurprised to find the Hokage observing him as well; his 'story' sounded far-fetched, after all.

Just as Nagoyaka felt himself about to start twitching from anxiety and nerves, the door opened, and a tall male figure dressed in traditional ninja wear calmly walked in.

The man was very tall, easily over six feet, and he was fairly slender. Wearing traditional shinobi sandals, he had white ninja wrapping securing the bottom of his flowing black pants to his legs from the ankle to mid calf. He was also wearing a yukata-reminiscent black shirt (with dark gray steel netting underneath; he didn't wear a flak jacket to show his rank). Below the elbow, the white ninja wrapping continued from to the wrist.

The mystery shinobi was also wearing fingerless black gloves with metal plating on the back of the hand. Wild silver hair was pulled back into a pony-tail that trailed to between the shoulder blades, going well with his pale complexion. Intelligent coal eyes observed him with equal intensity, face blank.

Nagoyaka looked on in wonderment; this was someone who he'd never met before, yet had the feeling he should have...

The Hokage watched the shinobi stare each other down quietly in curiosity.

Nagoyaka's new 'guard' approached him slowly, as if approaching a wild animal. Nagoyaka just watched his approach cautiously, watching for any hidden traps, this had been going too well, too far after all. Before either shinobi could say anything, however, the Hokage intervene.

"Both of you will, as of this point forward, do everything together; you will live together - "They _both_ jerked to face him, "Be assigned the same missions, and you will be under one others' protection at all times. Are we clear? This is not up for negotiation." With his will expressed, the Professor stood and faced both men head on.

"Now, about your lodgings…"

XXXXX

In the end, Nagoyaka ended up being wheeled back to the hospital for one more weeks' stay, for observation and to let the last of his wounds be healed; while the three shinobi had been talking in the Hokage's office, a nurse had to be brought in to change the blood-soaked bandages on his torso.

The mystery shinobi who had just been assigned as his partner – for all intents and purpose – was indeed someone Nagoyaka should have recognized; he was none other than the White Fang himself! Nagoyaka hadn't known what to expect, but he certainly wasn't expecting the man to be like he was, he was Kakashi's father, for Kami's sake!

Nagoyaka might as well have been talking to a rock with as much reaction he got from his new partner. They'd talked for almost two hours in the office, yet the White Fang had barely spoken three words.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Nagoyaka huffed in annoyance and tried to roll over without pain unsuccessfully. Closing his eyes and trying to will himself to sleep, Nagoyaka decided that the first thing he would ask upon waking would be for the current date – the White Fang was infamous for more than one reason, after all…

XXXXX

Hatake Sakumo quietly opened the door to his two bedroom apartment he shared with his toddler son – who had already begun learning the shinobi arts. However, Kakashi was the last thing on his mind as he made his way to his bedroom and slump onto the mattress. The 'incident' had happened only a week ago, and already his fellow shinobi and civilians were starting to blame him for everything. Even his own teammates –

He wrenched himself away from those thoughts, and simply climb underneath his sheets, only bothering to take off his shoes. Sighing, he didn't attempt to fall asleep, already knowing it was useless at the moment. Instead, he let his thoughts of this new 'assignment' come to attention. The man he was now to become partners with was an unusual one, alright. Sakumo himself personally thought this 'Nagoyaka' character was full of shit – and was thus annoyed and having been assigned his new task – until he heard the full story summarized by the Hokage. Of course, he still thought that Nagoyaka, secretly dubbed 'Naruto,' was full of shit; no matter how trusting of a person you are, if you're _sane_ you _never_ reveal as much as the man did earlier.

Grumbling at his luck, Sakumo turned onto his back and finally attempted to fall asleep. He was unsurprised when sleep did not claim him.

XXXXX

A week passed in agonizing boredom for Nagoyaka as Minato's team was "suddenly" called for a mission that would _just so happen_ to take them two weeks to finish immediately after his talk with the Hokage.

By the end of the week, Nagoyaka had talked with the Hokage and Sakumo multiple times; each time the three met up, Nagoyaka was told more and more about the comings and goings of the village to the point that they had nearly gotten him completely caught up to current events. They had also scheduled for his test – which would come in the form of multiple, small tests - in abilities to be held in the days following his discharge from the hospital; it was also decided that Sakumo and Kakashi would move into a larger apartment and that Nagoyaka would stay with them for the time being. Neither Sakumo nor Nagoyaka were pleased with the last turn of events.

They decided that only basic tests would be prudent. Nagoyaka had been caught up to current events enough to know that they were currently in the middle of the Great Shinobi War, so it only made sense to have this affair sorted out as quickly and painlessly as possible. In the end, it was decided that Nagoyaka was to be given a basically "streamlined" chunnin exam; we was to be given a written test, a survival test, a spar with his new 'guard' to assess his skills and a chakra control test instead of a jutsu test - like in the academy - to see if he had finesse and a grasp of basic skills. All of his tests would be ideally finished within one week's time. Until he passed all of his tests, he would stay at the Hokage Tower in one of the guest suites usually reserved for ambassadors.

XXXXX

Sakumo felt at a loss as he watched Nagoyaka warm up for their impending spar.

While Nagoyaka had been in the hospital – which he'd been released from not three days ago – he'd taken his written test early and had passed with flying colors. The first day out was also the time Nagoyaka spent doing the chakra control test, not to mention getting new clothes and being shown around Konoha by the Hokage himself, since Sakumo declined to do so. The second day out Nagoyaka had plough right on and took care of the survival test as well, something that Sakumo scoffed at. He'd just gotten out of the hospital and no matter who you are, you're asking for another trip there if you're as active as Nagoyaka had been so far, in Sakumo's opinion.

Sakumo was pulled from his thoughts as he felt eyes on him, and looked at his new 'assignment' who was staring at him oddly. "…What?"

"You're not going to warm up?" A calm, if apathetic gaze was all Nagoyaka got as a response. Frowning, he paused from his own exercises to fully turn and face his adversary. "Let's face it; neither of us like this situation, and I could probably use some more time to heal – " insert rolled eyes from Sakumo – "but it'll get taken care of and out of the way quicker if we _both_ take this seriously."

Sakumo didn't bother responding with words, he simply got into his taijutsu stance and square himself towards his opponent, just wanting to go home already. Nagoyaka's frown deepened and he suddenly burst, "Jeeze, don't you ever _talk_?!"

XXXXX

Nagoyaka was _not_ amused. Not only was he not being taken seriously, he had suspicions that the White Fang would go easy on him – even if only at first.

Speaking of Sakumo, he knew precious little about what happened to make him commit suicide (the truth of the matter was confidential); sure the man seemed off, but for all Nagoyaka knew, that might be the norm. Either way, the man had his respect, though the sentiment didn't seem to be reciprocated.

'_Whatever, if Mute doesn't wasn't to take me seriously, I'll show him why that's a mistake!'_

XXXXX

Sakumo's thoughts had started to trail towards places they shouldn't have been, so it was with complete surprise that he managed to dodge the tanned fist aimed at his face. Nagoyaka simply jump back and grinned cheekily. Sakumo retaliate by immediately getting within Nagoyaka's defense and delivering a vicious backhand that sent the younger man tumbling to the ground. Not pausing in his assault – that cheeky shit would pay for catching him off guard! – Sakumo launched a quick series of kicks that Nagoyaka barely managing to avoid as he scrambled up from the ground.

Coal and ocean eyes met in a fierce battle of wills.

'_Here we go!'_

A/N- Yall probably noticed that it was bit shorter than the first chapter; due not only to writers' block, but also due to stress and having almost zero time to work on it. Anyways, please continue to read and critique. 

Some need to know words/terms:

[1] – misuteri; mystery


End file.
